Government contracts represent significant investments of public funds, designed to deliver essential services and infrastructure. Ideally, contractual agreements should serve as catalysts for streamlined work practices and substantial savings. However, the reality often diverges sharply from this ideal. Too frequently, contracts are signed with enthusiasm and then relegated to dusty filing cabinets, only to be unearthed when a crisis erupts throughout the contract period or after the project’s completion.

Records management is constantly evolving, and as of February 2025, significant changes that will impact public sector agencies have come into effect. These updates, along with common challenges we observe in our audits, highlight the importance of robust and adaptable records management strategies. This blog post will guide you through the key changes and highlight crucial areas of focus.

In September 2021 the NSW Office of Local Government published guidelines for Integrated Planning and Reporting (IP&R), which included a new requirement to publish a program of Service Reviews. The guidelines also specified an associated new reporting requirement: